Flatulent cows cause methane explosion on German farm

Yes, you read that right.

It’s no secret that cows are living, breathing methane machines. Cattle produce large amounts of methane as part of their normal digestive process; globally, cows and their ruminant colleagues produce some 80 million metric tons of methane annually. In fact, livestock is accountable for an estimated 28 percent of global methane emissions from human-related activities.

There has been much written about the damaging effects of methane to the climate, but now there’s a new methane menace to consider courtesy of cattle: cow bombs.

Reuters reports that methane from 90 flatulent, burping cows exploded in a farm shed located in the German town of Rasdorf. Apparently, high levels of the gas had accumulated before a static electric charge caused the gas to explode with “flashes of flames.”

Police say that the roof was damaged and one of the cows was treated for burns.

Watch the short video below to see the surprising amount of methane produced by one cow in an hour: